Saint Mary’s rises to third in the nation
Our investments in students, faculty and programming have propelled Saint Mary’s to third in Canada for the 2023 Maclean’s University Rankings undergraduate category. For the second successive year, we’ve remained the top-ranked primarily undergraduate university in Nova Scotia.
“At Saint Mary’s, community is at the heart of all that we do,” says President Summerby-Murray. “We know success requires our entire community’s time, talent, passion and commitment. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to our Santamarian community — our students, faculty, staff, alumni and donors. We continue to rise and achieve excellence through your support and efforts.”
Taking action on Black inclusion
Saint Mary’s took an important step in signing the Scarborough Charter on Anti-Black Racism and Black Inclusion in Canadian Higher Education: Principles, Actions, and Accountabilities. Participating institutions commit to taking concrete action to combat anti-Black racism and promote inclusion.
Work at Saint Mary’s has already begun: an Associate Vice-President, Diversity Excellence has been appointed, who will help form a Black caucus of faculty and staff. A hiring strategy to increase and retain Black and Indigenous faculty and staff is also in development.
Sounds of community and reconciliation
A community drum is now a permanent part of campus life thanks to a partnership with the Saint Mary’s University Students’ Association (SMUSA). Called a teaching drum by Elders, the tugamatesg is an instrument that is alive and facilitates cultural expression. The drum will feature in important university events, facilitate learning and raise the visibility of Indigenous cultures.
“This is a time for community to come together to embrace and celebrate Indigeneity,” says Kyle Cook, Vice-President Advocacy, SMUSA. “The drum will provide the platform to foster a sense of welcome, community and reconciliation.”
Dr. Alexander MacLeod’s Lagomorph wins Nova Scotia’s top art prize
A special handbound letterpress edition of Lagomorph was the 2021 winner of the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia Masterworks Arts Award, the largest award for a single work of art in any medium in the province. First published in Granta magazine, Dr. Alexander MacLeod’s short fiction about the impact of a family’s pet rabbit has earned international accolades, winning the prestigious O. Henry Prize in 2019. Dr. MacLeod collaborated with bookmaker Andrew Steeves of Gaspereau Press to immortalize the story as an exquisite hand-crafted book, garnering the $25,000 award.
Students win double silver at venture capital competition
Two student teams from the Sobey School of Business took home silver medals at the Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC) held at Boston University.
Competing in the New England division, the two teams of five (one at the undergraduate level and one at the graduate level) placed second in their respective divisions, beating out teams from top-tier American schools that included Cornell, Tufts, Babson and New York University.